Prince Tom
by BlondeSinger101
Summary: Tom O'Follaird tells his tale of being an orphan, and his ride with Billy the Kid. R&R.
1. Orphan Ship

Chapter One

"Now have all you little bastards said goodbye to your parents?" The sailor let out a mighty laugh. It wasn't funny, but nobody was going to tell him that. Most of us are too tired, or hungry, or sick, or maybe even dying. We wouldn't waste our breath.

The ship we were packed on to was an Orphan Boat, headed towards Fort Sumner, where all of us orphans would truck our ways out. We would find our new parents. You see, all of the orphans that are on the boat have been adopted. Our parents would await us and call us by name, taking us away to their houses. My name is Tom O'Folliard. I am thirteen years old, soon to be fourteen in about a week or so. I can't say that I'm excited about meeting the parents who had decided on me. I've been an orphan all my life, and nobody has ever been kind enough even to give a little bread. Needless to say, I'm not a huge fan of adults in any case.

The boat was crowded, hundreds of orphans awaiting their fate. Most of them were sick, not having been given the food and water that one needs most of their lives. Some of them were disappointed to the highest aspect. These ones were the "new" orphans, the kids who had just been dumped by their parents. Some came from rich houses, now dressed in rags when their parents decided they could sell the nice clothing. Some came from poor houses that may have had kind parents, but just had not had enough money to feed and take care of the poor child. I felt sorry for them all, but mostly for the "new" orphans. It must be awful to find out that your parents don't want you anymore. Luckily, it's never happened to me. I just never had parents. I lived on the streets my whole life. Reading newspapers taught me how to read, and being really hungry taught me how to shoplift. I was always alone, and I guess it got to me. I have never reached out to other orphans and definitely not to kids with parents, and never to adults. A tall lady made her way from the other end of the boat, looking at me. All the other orphans around me tensed up, most of them had been beaten by their mothers. But I wasn't tense; I was used to women looking strangely at me. Even back in PA, women who would pass me on the streets would look at me strangely. The women got to me, and sat down next to me. I figured what she would do next. She lifted her lacy gloved hand up and touched my hair, then my face. She just smiled. I gave her a small smile back. I had learned that if you don't smile, you'd be hurt. And if you smiled too big, they would try to get closer. I didn't want this lady getting any closer. She smelt really bad.

The lady had to leave pretty soon, we got to a dock and the loud-voiced sailor started hustling everyone off the boat.

Fort Sumner looked nothing like PA. Sure, a whole lot of bars and a whole lot of horses, but besides that there are NO similarities. There were lots of parents outside of the dock, and when the rest of the orphans and I came out, they all started calling out the names of their adoptions. I listened for my name, but didn't hear it. I just decided to wait, and once some of the orphans had gone it would be easier to find them, and for them to find me.

Hours went by. All the orphans left to go home with their new parents. I sat on the dock, waiting. But I knew the truth. There was nobody here waiting for me.

"Mistakes happen all the time on these orphan boats kid. Sorry." That's what the sailor told me, right before he took the boat on its trip back to Pennsylvania. I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat as I watched the boat pull away from the dock. It was late, and there were barely any street lights. It was dark, I was hungry, tired, and worry was slowly started to surface. Where would I go, I would be living on the streets again. But I KNEW the streets back in PA, here I didn't know where to get food or water or anything. I didn't want to move from my spot, but I knew I had to. So I started to walk shaking down the dark road. I made sure to make note of every restaurant and home that I passed. I found a dark alley, where I took off my tattered brown coat and laid it down, curling up on top of it. I went to sleep hearing my stomach growl.


	2. Unwanted

Chapter Two

It was loud in the morning, I was awoken by horses and footsteps and the uncomfortable realization that I had slept on rocks. I stood up once I was completely awake and shook off my jacket. I put on the jacket and decided to get a start at finding some food. The first stop I made was a pub-type place that I had seen on my way from the dock. I walked in casually. There were about three people in various chairs, and a scrubby man working behind the counter. I leaned up against the bar, trying my best to look older then I am. I slyly moved my arm around the end of the bar and snatched a loaf of bread. I turned around, slipping the bread inside of my jacket. As I made my way to the door, I was stopped by a big arm around my collar. I was pulled in. A wave of shock ran through me and I half considered punching this guy and running out, but I didn't have time.

"What did you think you were doing boy?" The owner yelled at me. It was the same guy who was working behind the bar. I gasped as he nearly choked me and dropped the bread. The man smiled cruelly and grabbed the bread off the floor.

"Is this what you want boy?" He smiled at me.

"Yes…yes sir." I said quietly. He slapped me across the face, and sent me out with my face burning and stomach empty. But as I made my way out, I noticed a small hole in the wall next to the door. A curtain had been placed over it to make it look better, and a stash of bread was lying next to it. I smiled to myself and left the bar.

Billy the Kid. What a guy. I had been reading about Billy the Kid ever since he started basically. I learned how to read out of his penny novels and newspaper articles. If I found even two pennies, I would spend it on more stuff about Billy. I was his biggest fan. Maybe it's because Billy was mostly an orphan, and I could relate to him. Yeah, Billy and I really related. I decided at a very young age that all I wanted to do is get the chance to ride with Billy the Kid. It was a far sketched dream, but one I had dreamt many nights.

For the next few weeks I used the whole in the pub to snatch bread. Sometimes Beaver caught me, sometimes he didn't. Though over time we got to know each other. Beaver has three wives, all who are fat and rather ugly. He owns the pub/bar/restaurant/eating house type place. And he is VERY protective of his bread.

I continued to sleep in that alley, making it my home. I stashed my belongings there (which wasn't much) and slept on my coat there every night.

I turned fourteen the eighth, and even Beaver (who was sick and tired of me anyways) let me have half a loaf and a glass of water just for the occasion. He became my abusive adoptive father. Then one day it happened. I was sitting on my high atop hideout that looked over the entrance and exit of the little town. And I heard below me cries of the townsfolk. I looked out and saw the outline of three horses coming into our town. And the one leading, was Billy the Kid.


End file.
